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Windows Vista RC1 released to the public

Microsoft opens up Vista RC1 to the unwashed masses.

If you want to try out the latest and greatest from Redmond, but missed out on the limited release of the pre-RC1 build last week, now's your chance. Microsoft has made RC1 available to the public in both 32-bit and 64-bit flavors. You can download it straight from Microsoft or via the Akamai Download Manager.

Based on what we've seen of the latest builds of Vista here at the Orbiting HQ, we're very impressed with the improvements Microsoft has made since the last public beta. Now that we know the definitive details on pricing, it's time to decide which version you'll be buying once Vista is released.

Eric Bangeman
Eric has been using personal computers since 1980 and writing about them at Ars Technica since 2003, where he currently serves as Managing Editor. Twitter@ericbangeman